Water drought leads to Competa hosepipe ban

COMPETA is the first of the villages in the Axarquia area to suffer the effects of this winter’s lack of rain and residents have been warned that they could be fined for misusing water.

The village’s mains water supply used to be fed by two wells, however, one of these in the area known as Casa de la Mina has dried up, leading to a serious problem, the council has reported.

This has led the authorities to make a drastic yet necessary decision and issue an edict warning residents that mains water is for human consumption only and any unnecessary use detected (such as hosing down terraces, watering gardens, filling swimming pools or washing cars) will lead to the culprits being fined.

While negotiations are under way with the provincial council and regional government to allow for new wells to be drilled to guarantee supply, restrictions have been announced in the countryside areas of the village.

Although local Mayor Obdulio Perez reported that the urban area was not affected by these restrictions, as about half the population of Competa lives in the countryside rather than the village itself, this seems a rather optimistic view.

The matter is however being treated as an urgent one and new wells are one of the council’s priorities as the busy summer months approach.